![Who is affected most by the government shutdown? [Image via NPCA Photos/Flickr]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2018/1/22/660x290/b_502x220x82/government-shutdown-npca-photos-via-flickr_1789841.jpg "Who is affected most by the government shutdown? [Image via NPCA Photos/Flickr]")
We're now into day three of the United States government shutdown. The first two days brought plenty of mudslinging, but not an overwhelming amount of detrimental effects to the large majority of the country, due to the fact that it was ranging over the weekend. That changes on Monday. More people will be barred from doing their job and people who don't even recognize their connection to the federal government will falter. Some will be impacted in a much deeper way the longer this drags on.
NASA is grounded
With a government shutdown, the country's leading space agency cannot operate.
That means that around 17,500 employees will be furloughed. That's almost the entire agency. It could have a massive effect on the experimentation arm of the agency. Nobody is allowed to work on their projects during this time. That means ongoing projects might have to be permanently shuttered if continuity is lost in the coming days.
The government shutdown could have some rolling effects on other space agencies as well. After all, companies like SpaceX thrive upon the resources provided to them by NASA. There are some employees who are generally allowed to stay at work because their functions are vital to the country, such as the people who man the satellites above our atmosphere. But by and large, the entire crux of the country's space program will fall apart while they wait for the lapse in funding to come to an end.
Military families harmed
These families are arguably the most harmed group by a government shutdown, outside of the people who rely on a paycheck day-to-day. Active duty soldiers aren't pulled from combat, but their checks are. It's shameful that citizens risking their lives across the globe won't be paid for getting into harm's way on behalf of a country that can't agree to fund their paychecks.
Sadly, that's the reality of the situation.
There are additional effects on the military. Commissaries on military bases within the continental United States will be closed. The American Forces Network also shuttered. These decisions not only affect people financially but could have an impact on morale within the armed forces.
Reports in the afternoon suggest that an end to the government shutdown might be imminent. For the benefit of NASA, the military, and millions of Americans affected by this mess, let's hope all sides can come together and get the government up and running.
